new delhi, Oct 29
Former India skipper Rohit Sharma has vaulted to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings for the first time in his illustrious career, becoming, at 38, the oldest batter ever to hold the No. 1 position in the men’s rankings.
Rohit rose two spots following his unbeaten century in the third and final ODI against Australia in Sydney, where he guided India to a commanding nine-wicket victory. The veteran opener, in sublime touch alongside Virat Kohli (74 not out), struck 13 fours and three sixes to bring up his 33rd ODI ton.
His latest performance propelled him past Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran and teammate Shubman Gill to claim the top spot, marking a milestone moment for the long-time top-10 regular. Ibrahim had briefly become the first Afghanistan batter to lead the ODI batting rankings between the second and third ODIs in Australia, before Rohit’s surge to No. 1.
Rohit wasn’t the only Indian to make gains this week. Axar Patel moved up the charts after a solid showing in Sydney, climbing six places to 31st among bowlers and four spots to eighth among ODI all-rounders, just behind New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner.
In the bowling charts, Santner himself jumped three spots to fourth, while Australia’s Josh Hazlewood moved up two places to eighth. England’s Harry Brook also made a big impression, soaring 23 positions to 25th in the ODI batting rankings.
The latest Test rankings also saw significant movement following South Africa’s eight-wicket win over Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Spinner Keshav Maharaj earned the biggest reward, climbing nine places to a career-high 13th after a nine-wicket match-winning performance that earned him Player of the Match honours. His spin partner Simon Harmer jumped 26 spots to 45th after taking six wickets in the second innings.
Among batters, Aiden Markram rose two places to 15th, while Tony de Zorzi climbed seven spots to joint-47th. Pacer Kagiso Rabada advanced eight places to 11th among Test all-rounders. There was some consolation for Pakistan, with captain Shan Masood moving up five spots to 42nd among Test batters. Meanwhile, South Africa’s strong start in the T20I series against Pakistan also brought ranking boosts. Corbin Bosch jumped 40 spots to 53rd among bowlers, while Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz moved up eight places to sixth in the all-rounders’ list.
Young opener Saim Ayub climbed five spots to 49th among T20I batters.
